Review: I, Cosmo

Spoiler/Not
Spoiler: Cosmo does not die, so now you
can enjoy his wonderful story.

I,
Cosmo is a ‘woof-tastically’ heart-warming story, full of life,
heart and humour which will appeal to any dog-lover, adult or child. Telling the story from the perspective of Cosmo,
the 13-year old family golden retriever, is genius! The tone is conversational and authentic: I can really imagine that this is exactly how
a dog sees himself within a loving family.
Cosmo is wise, humorous, devoted and loves ‘doggedly’. I’ll let Cosmo explain the last one himself:

“There
is a word I’ve learned in my twelve years:
doggedly. It means “with
persistence and full effort.” Humans
attribute this to a dog’s stubbornness – our refusal to give up chewy sticks,
the way we freeze in the doorway when it rains.
But really, it’s the way we love, with our whole hearts, no matter the
circumstance. I vowed to protect Max –
and my family – doggedly, for the rest of my life.

Cosmo has been bought as a puppy by the family, shortly
before the birth of their first son Max, who has a heartfelt bond with Cosmo,
each being the other’s champion and best friend. One of the aspects which really engaged me in
this story was how Cosmo reminisces about his life with his family, recalling
many humorous and heart-warming moments.
This makes the family break-down in the ‘present’ of the book all the
more poignant. Cosmo is told by the children’s Uncle Reggie
to: “Protect their hearts.” And he does so, with all his heart.

I fell in love with Cosmo for a two main reasons: his devotion
and sensitivity towards his family, and especially to Max, which is wonderfully
depicted; and, his sharp, witty observations which permeate the story, lending
it many humorous moments.

Humans can learn many lessons from Cosmo’s honesty and wisdom,
and from his love of old movies and dancing!
Indeed, dancing is pivotal in his attempt to save his family and avoid
separation from Max. The courage,
perseverance and devotion shown by Cosmo, despite his own afflictions due to
age, is genuinely touching.

My favourite quote, which I think will resonate with many
is:

“…I do believe that,
with the right human by your side, it’s possible to leap fearlessly into the
unknown.”

Will Cosmo, with his dancer’s soul, be able to save his family? Will he become a movie star? Will he remain with Max, his best friend? Will he defeat his nemesis the sheepdog? So many questions, so wonderfully answered in this exceptional story, with the most uplifting, hopeful ending. Just perfect!

Thank you to Nosy Crow for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Published by BookCraic

I am a primary school teacher who is a voracious reader. I love reading children's books, talking to them about books, engaging them in reading for pleasure and recommending books to them.
View all posts by BookCraic

Any book with a main animal character or sidekick always gives me the niggling worry that they might die. There have been some really traumatizing deaths of pets in some books! I wish that I had been quick enough to respond to the proof call-out, but I don’t have too long to wait until it’s out now!

I’d definitely rather be warned if there’s going to be a death. It should be in the shops now. It’s definitely a fun and heart-warming read. I read a middle-grade book via NetGalley recently that had a death I wasn’t expecting – so much heartache already that it was almost too much – hard to see it as middle-grade!

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of a man told from his dog’s perspective. I loved it, but sobbed my heart out as the dog got older and sicker…I would rather be warned too! I would still recommend this book to others as it’s brilliant, but would warn them of the heartbreak. (It’s an adult book, but can be even more shocking in a MG book)

That sounds like a difficult read! I’d definitely warn children re the book I’ve read. I have no problem with death in middle-grade but I tend to read the books where the death has already happened so children haven’t formed a relationship with the character.

I completely agree. It;s one of the reasons why I often urge teachers reaidng my reviews to make sure they’ve actually read the book before recommending it to any children in their class – at the end of the day they know their pupils better than I do so they can be aware of any triggers in the text.

I’m so glad that didn’t happen for you. I think I need to stick to a few fantasy books now – almost finished The Frozen Sea which is a fun read, and then starting The Land of Roar. That should sort me out! 😀

I wasn’t as taken with The Frozen Sea as I wanted to be but The Land Of Roar has ignited something in me- it’s beautiful, reminds me of the feeling in your throat you get when Miss Price sings ‘The Age Of Not Believing’ in Bedknobs and Broomsticks

I’m enjoying The Frozen Sea – I think Fizz is fantastic – but not sure if I’m going to like if it is all a ‘test’ by Aunt – just getting to that part. So looking forward to The Land of Roar – need to write 2 reviews before starting it! I’ve also requested Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James as I loved Pages & Co.

I prefer a paper book, but don’t mind reading from my Kindle. I’m not yet at the stage where publishers send me proofs – unless I win one from Toppsta or via a call out on Twitter as for I, Cosmo. So, if I’m desperate to read a book early, I use NetGalley if the book is on there. Then I buy the book for my library so I can recommend it to children straight away!